


The Quiet Cafe Round The Corner

by Yamiyoru



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Buddhism reference, Buddhist gods, Cafe food, Café, Characters and personas are one of the same person, Coffee, I promise, Japanese Mythology - Freeform, Kami-no-michi, Kojiki, M/M, Nihon Shoki, No Angst, Romance, Shinto, Shinto gods - Freeform, Shinto references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-06-10 06:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6943039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yamiyoru/pseuds/Yamiyoru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Souji is sent to a quiet town by his father to manage the branch company. Everything seemed at wits ends until he found himself before a newly opened cafe. Meeting the owner of the place would redefine his concept of silence and that perhaps a storm is what he needed to pass this darkness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thrown into a storm

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this as I had fun writing it. This is a mixture of Persona 4’s personas, characters and deities of Shintoism.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Persona or anything of it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souji find himself before a cafe that was newly open.

**Chapter 1: Thrown into a storm**

Stepping heavily into the empty streets, Seta Souji heaved a deep sigh as he adjusted his glasses. This week was by far, even by his standards, the worst point of his life and working career. Just thinking about it was giving him the urge to take his cursing at the sky. If he did not already look like the fool his father intentionally made him out to be, he would have done it. He would not fall right into his father’s trap. 

Two weeks ago, his father had announced proudly his capable son of the Seta Enterprise would be managing the branch company. On the surface, it sounded promising but he knew by his heart his father had planned it all as a punishment. To punish him for walking out of the arranged marriage on the day of the wedding ceremony and shaming his father in front of all the guests and reporters. He had no idea why but when he reached for the door to move towards the Church, he felt an electric jolt ran through his body. It took everything of himself to stay upright and after the dizziness and nausea passed, in came all the doubts surging and overwhelming his thoughts. 

It was at that moment, when he found the courage to do what he always felt was the right thing to do; choosing not to marry the person he does not love. So instead of the Church, he packed his stuff and drove home. 

On the next day, he visited her and kneeled before her for forgiveness. Towards the bride, whom his actions had ruined the most important day of her life, Souji was immensely sorry. His gaze fixed on the warm wooden floor, he still remembered clearly how the lady too kneeled down in her beautiful kimono, to look up to her smile and her words still resounded in his ears.

_Please raise your head, Souji kun. I don’t blame you at all, so don’t blame yourself. In fact, I’m really grateful that you did. Although both our families are big jokes now but your actions have also given me courage to pursue what’s right and not fear the eyes of others. For that, I really thank you. I hope you find happiness as well._

Each sentence filled with indescribable kindness, gave him strength to his resolution. He would not regret walking away. Taking precautions, Souji prepared himself in face of his father’s wrath head on and not waver.

Thus, Souji was not expecting much and when he arrived, his suspicions were confirmed. The entire building was empty. By direct orders of his father, everyone here was transferred out and into the main company, leaving him. In other words, he was tasked to manage a ghost company. He could already hear the sneer and mocking rumors happening in the main office. Behind it all, there was a clear message from his father; his life was not his own but his father’s and in his control. 

Since then, Souji and his two great buddies, Kou and Daisuke scrambled every day to keep the company going, working long hours into the night to make sure orders are fulfilled and their trustworthiness accounted for. Of course, his uncle, pitiful of his situation, lended him a lot of help from his company, allowing the three boys to pull it through on the nick of time. Until Souji was able to hire more people, they would need to tough it out. So much so that it was already 4pm when he finally found time to eat lunch.

Musing over how they were to go about with the operation tomorrow, Souji did not realize he took a wrong turn into a quieter street. Further down, there was a guy in a apron and half ponytail was busy writing over the advertising stand board. 

_A cafe? Here? Where it’s this quiet?_

With his back to Souji, the other guy did not notice Souji approaching. It was too late when he stood up and turned into Souji, drawing a fresh line of marker across Souji’s suit. With a gasp, he stumbled backwards and toppled the board. Seeing as the guy was going to be tripped by the fallen board, Souji reached out to steady the panicking man, whose reaction was to throw the marker to one side with his mouth opening and closing but no sounds came out. There was a lot of flapping with the arms. Anymore, the brunette would be taking off soon

_He can’t talk or in shock?_

Then, like a bulb light lit up with an idea, the brunette stopped whatever he was doing and took out his handphone and typed furiously on it. To anyone else, it would have seemed like the brunette had abandoned communication with Souji. Waiting a while more, the brunette pushed his phone screen into Souji’s face and on it said, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’ll pay for the suit. You wait here. Okay? Don’t leave.’ 

Confident that Souji would stay put, the brunette ran into the store. When he came out again, he had a bag. Passing the bag over, the staff typed more words into his phone. 

_It’s coffee and sandwiches. It’s on the house as an apology. And these are compensation for the ruined suit.’_

Keeping his phone, the brunette pulled out his wallet and started to dig out some bills. 

Not seeing the need to accept the money, Souji stopped the brunette. With a smile and a mouthed ‘thank you’, Souji left the scene with the food before the brunette could push the money over again. The food was enough compensation.

When Souji turned the corner and was out of sight, the brunette stepped back into the store. The door opened with a ring of the bell, alerting the man behind the counter to look up at him.

_That’s him?_

_Yeah. It’s definitely him._

_Great. Let’s get it over and done with._

_Do we really have to?_

_You reap what you sow. Who told you to drop the sword? And worse, onto a mortal._

_I know! I know! But is that really the only way to retrieve it?_

_You know a better way? According to Kanzeon, that's the only way._

_.......But I'm a guy. And he's a guy! I don't-_

_Don't forget you also screwed that guy's marriage over?_

_Alright! Fine! I’ll play face hockey with him and make it up to him. Happy, Takemi?_

_Why didn't Kanzeon make me a girl?_

_Su-_

Before the Thunder God could tell his brother to stop complaining, the brunette had thrown the apron onto the table and made his way into their room above. Guess he had to let it go for now or the other might summon a storm into the town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no angst in this story, I promise. Purely gag and humor. Wait for it, Yosuke is making a full appearance next chapter and he'll be doing what he does best. XD


	2. Troublemaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke/Susano-o; the troublemaker of all realms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters and their ‘personas’ are one of the same person in this story, just different names they use in each realm. Rather than Persona 4, this is basing more on Shinto folklore. For those not familiar with Shinto, please wiki it, it’s very interesting.
> 
> A summary of the stories I referenced off of Kojiki and my own take on Buddhism. 
> 
> 1) Susano-o, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi are siblings born from Izanagi. Susano-o had once challenged Amaterasu but using his wits, he tricked Amaterasu into believing he won. Later on, out of boredom and rage, he burned the fields under Amaterasu's govern and even killed one of her attendant, which caused her so much grief, the Goddess of Sun hid in a cave, depriving mortals of the sun. Due to this, Susano-o was punished and banished to earth. They later reconciled. 
> 
> 2) As for Tsukuyomi, sibling and husband of Amaterasu, killed Uke-Mochi (attendant of Amaterasu) and this caused Amaterasu to rage. Not wanting to see Tsukuyomi again, they took up different side, forming day and night. 
> 
> Depending on the version, it could be Susano-o who killed Uke Mochi. I changed this version a bit to have Susano-o killed the poor Rice God but it was Tsukuyomi who got blamed for it so the Moon God would hold a grudge against Susano-o as well.
> 
> 3) Kanzeon or Guanyin is the Bodhisattva of Compassion of Buddhism/Taoism. As for why I said Kanzeon does not care about sex, I'm employing the theory in which gender is no obstacle to enlightenment and thus, to Kanzeon, a guy kissing another guy was just an mental obstacle.

**Chapter 2: Troublemaker**

The world hated him. Even the mortals were going all out to make sure things were never in his favor. Why did the guy have to stand right where he dropped the sword?! 

Red alarms ringing in his head, Susano-o watched in horror as the sword, not veering off by a degree, severed the marriage knot of the man with his bride to be. Like a heartless creature, the man walked out of the room calmly, collected his car and left the Church grounds; leaving the poor girl to walk the empty aisle! 

The next thing he knew was Ōkuninushi rushing at him in heavy armor with his steel sword poised. Susano-o, God of Storm and Sea, the troublemaker of the Plain of High Heaven striked again. He dropped an important sword of the Heavens and broke up another good marriage. 

Seriously, why did his dad task him to move the sword? Everyone in the sacred dwelling knew Susano-o was a bringer of chaos. He did best at wrecking fields and damaging properties with his storms, not delicate things like transporting stuffs. And see what happened! Someone’s marriage went poof, a sword sealed in a mortal body AND they blamed him. His mum took a look at him and told him to descend to earth to make amendments but not before giving him a tired sigh. 

Looking sideways, Susano-o could see his two favorite siblings, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi laughing at his predicament and the joke he was going to be. 

_Thanks, love you two too._

Geez, these two sure knew how to hold a grudge. He was sorry for tricking Amaterasu and then in a fit of boredom, destroyed her fields and killed her attendant. Okay?! He was also sorry for creating the perfect murder scene for poor Yomi to stumble onto. How was he to know stupid Ammy would accuse her hubby as the murderer of Uke-Mochi without checking? Their petty quarrel got so bad, the couple decided to take up different sides of the world.

_Yeah, yeah. Everything’s my damn fault. I don't see them thanking me when I give them reasons to._

It was then Kanzeon returned with the method to retrieve the sword; to suck it out by mouth, which honestly came too late. Looking down at his fully formed human body, obviously a young man and another look at the mortal, also a man, Susano-o concluded the task a mission impossible. 

_Since when was a guy kissing another guy a norm in this country?! Kanzeon, just because you don’t care about sex differences doesn’t mean the humans don’t!_

Ignoring the jeers of every god present, he made his way down with Takemikazuchi. They would have to find a method one way or another.

*** 

_Excellent. Absolutely perfect._

Drawing a marker line across the man’s suit was definitely how he wanted the mortal to remember him by. Great, he should just forget about retrieving the sword and find a hole to hide in. He did not need to look up at the sky to see Amaterasu’s roar of laughter at his first attempted failure. 

As tempting as it was to pack up and leave, the God of Chao..ssStorm was worried about the negative effects the sword might bring to the mortal. Over the thousands of years, he grew fond of the humans, impressed by their tenacity regardless of the thunderstorms he had thrown at them. It would be a pity to see the polite youngster die because of his mistake.

Sending his Shiki-no-kami out to tail the grey haired man, the cafe owner ‘yelled’ at the God of Thunder to close the cafe. They had other work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re wondering why Souji addressed his father more formally while Yosuke was informal, it was deliberate.
> 
> Susano-o; God of Storm. (Although I think I want to rename him as God of Troublemaking)  
> Amaterasu; Goddess of Sun  
> Tsukuyomi; God of Moon  
> Ōkuninushi; God of Marriage.  
> Takemikazuchi; God of Thunder.  
> Kanzeon/Guanyin; Bodhisattva of Compassion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke running for his life. (As usual.)

_....i…....o…..oi…..oi.._

Someone was shaking him. 

_Oi._

Still shaking him but he could barely move. 

_OI!_

A smack on his head at last did the job and Yosuke’s eyes snapped open to the pain erupting from the side of his skull, a softly lit ceiling and of course, a more-pissed-off-than-concerned Takemi. Susano-o wanted to hold his head to nurse the throbbing but his body was still numbed. A groan was all he could manage. 

‘Asshole. We’re here to get back the sword, not get wasted. What the hell were you doing!’

The personification of a mess and bad luck was scandalised and he glared at the other, earning one in return. 

_’I was.’_

‘Yeah, right. You can’t even get back on your own two feet. The human child was the one who dragged your ass back here with a goodbye kiss. We’re not here in this shirt hole for face frolicking.’ Takemi gritted his words bitterly, his tone chalked filled with sarcasm that the dead sea pales in comparison. 

_’What was I supposed to do when Dad tasered the shit out of me! ’_

The two held their angry nonverbal exchange until their words registered. 

‘What!?’ 

_’What?!’_

‘Izanagi is here— _‘Goodbye kiss?!’’_ The Thunderstorm combi asked each other in unison but were on different topics. 

‘What do you mean by Izanagi is here?’ 

_’What do you mean by a “goodbye kiss”?’_

‘Is that important right now?!’ 

_’Yes!’_

‘Fine! That human kid give you a beauty kiss when you're sleeping like a log! Here!’—Takemi demonstrated by smacking his forehead hard.—‘Happy?! Now tell me what is this shit about IZANAGI TASERING YOU?! ’

_What…._

‘Oi.’ 

_Why would that child kiss him….No. It must be him…._

‘OI!’ 

Take’s fist almost connected with his head once more when Susano brought himself to shout, _’Dad is hiding inside the sword the entire time, okay! Right when I thought I have it, he shocked me!’_

Yes, right at the very last second when he was so sure he could get the sword out with a quick kiss, with a simple, straight-to-the-point plan. 1) Follow the child. 2) Invite him to a drink. 3) Kiss him when the human’s drunk. 4) Get punched and leave. 

But no. Of course, no. Life was never as easy (or short) in his story, because Izanagi forbids it. Literally. 

…

_Few hours ago_

His stake out was intended to be an ‘accidental’ bump in until he accidentally stepped on the shiny shoes of a well placed Yakuza , a hot tempered one and was forced to race past the clueless Souji, exposing himself prematurely. The invitation to a drink (in his mind) was originally imagined to be a smooth apology for ruining the man’s suit became a real sorry run for their lives when the latter followed him for no good reason. 

_I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!_

Susano-o chanted frantically as his legs threatened to give out. As for who he’s apologizing to? To the Yakuza who’s still chasing them or to Souji who’s also a few steps behind him, he’s not too sure. Because he could care less! 

In his panic, he almost took a left turn into a dead end, to be saved in the nick of time by Souji, who caught up to him and pulled the Demigod by the arm, in the opposite direction, into oncoming traffic. It could have killed them fasterer but it did well to shake off their pursuer. 

With the yakuza’s shouts drowning in the honks of the cars, the two men cut the lanes without looking back once. 

*Khoff Khoff Khoff*

Susano-o, still out of touch with his human body, was practically coughing his lungs out when Souji finally deemed it was safe enough to stop. Leaning heavily against the cold glass, the poor soul felt like he ran an extra marathon as his two air containers heaved and burned for oxygen. 

_Useless human body._

‘Are you’--pant--’okay?’ The equally exhausted man, matching in their rhythmic need for air, asked between breaths.

_I’m fine. I’m fine._

Waving his hand like a flopping, dying fish, the brunette tried to assure the other that he was alright but it only made the other stood up straighter to regard him with worries. 

Then, realizing Souji wouldn’t be able to hear him, he took the extra effort to point to himself a few times. 

_Seriously useless body._

Twisting his fingers into a ‘thumbs up’, his motion was stopped by Souji’s hand, who had unreservedly wrapped around his wholesomely and the half Kami’s eyes widened, a bit surprised by the sudden contact and Susano-o froze. Unlike the scorching fireballs Amaterasu aimed at him for countless millenniums, this alternative was comforting. 

_It feels nice..._

The hand left as quickly as it came, to which Susano-o’s heart almost pouted at the loss but caught himself just in time.

_’What?! What am I disappointed in? Stop doing meaningless things and focus on the mission.’_

He lifted his gaze to see Souji nodding at him.

_’....What?’_

Susano-o’s face scrunched up in confusion and Souji proceeded to shake his head. 

_Now what are you shaking your head for?! Seta Souji, I don’t get it! Use your words!_

Frustrated, he pointed at Souji’s throat repeatedly. 

_Use your words!_

The hand returned once more, patted his shaking hand and a understanding nod, which only the owner of the head could decipher the meaning within. 

This time, he really groaned for a different reason and buried his face in his palm. Someone tells him how to communicate with this insufferable man. 

_Seta Souji, you know what?! Just stand there and let me kiss you. I want this over and done with._

Pulling himself out of his darkened world to put his thoughts in actions, the storm god found himself staring at a bottle of tea pushed into his face. He moved his focus from the Large-print to the one holding it---Seta Souji. 

_Where did he get that from?_

‘I hope this will quench your thirst since you keep pointing to your throat.’ 

_No….I was pointing to myself...oh great Izanami, just kill me…_

Seeing the rejection of his tea, Souji offered, ‘Well, I have beer too. Do you want this instead?’ Souji held up a bag containing more.

_Seriously, where did he get all that? His pockets?_

At that moment, a bell rang beside him and he looked sideway to find themselves standing right beside a busy convenience store….The entire time? How did he miss such a huge building? 

Thanks Ebisu for his luck. To be standing right beside a convenience store with plenty of people walking past them, which all escaped him entirely and he almost tried to kiss Souji here...Just his luck, truly.

On the side, Souji too, was having his own thoughts about the entire event. In silence, the smartly dressed man watched the other man’s face twisted into one of utter disbelief and for some odd reasons, it made him smile. Well, in his defence, it was his first time seeing someone’s expression changed this abruptly, into an array of expression. Within half an hour, the shortest he has ever experienced, Souji saw panic on the man’s sharp features shift shaped into relief, confusion, irritation respectively. It was frankly, amusing.

He could have stood there and watch the man for the rest of the night but what moved him was when the other man dropped his head, showing something which Souji knew best; helplessness mixed with fragility. It made him him want to do something for him. 

Squatting to the same level, to check on the other, who seemed more interested in the store’s entrance, Souji reached out and asked carefully, ‘are you okay?’

Which worked as Susano-o’s head did turn to regard the question and the pressure on his shoulder, to find Souji’s face right next to him, making his breath hitched in his throat. 

_When did he get so close?_

Undeterred by the motionless brunette, Souji continued-- ‘If you feel sick, do you want to rest at my house first? It’s just round the corner.’--However, the storm god was not listening as those brown eyes found those lips he was chasing the entire time. They were _right there!_

This might be his chance. Maybe Ebisu was being nice to him for once and without a second thought, he leaned in to catch those lips. 

‘Don’t even think about it, Sonny.’

Susano-o had only enough time to pause to see those human eyes flashed yellow, a colour which he was very familiar with. 

_Oh shit._

But not enough time to pull away from a hug meant to send a wave of electricity through him, taking away all his senses. The last he was given was the line of marker he made early this morning, stretching across the entire shirt and a faint scent of coffee before he laid limply against the broader chest that was rumbling in muffled laughter. 

Tucking the unconscious even closer, into the crook of his neck, he whispered into his child’s ear.

_’Night night.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment if you like it. 
> 
> Takemi is violent as usual. Susano-o(Yosuke)'s mind is in a mess and is constantly in trouble.   
> As for Souji, he's just weird.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. As usual, any comment or criticism to help me improve is much appreciated. XD


End file.
